The number of visa applications processed by the United States in 2023 has surpassed figures from previous years, with the embassy in India preparing for a further increase in visa processing during the busy holiday season.

The US Embassy in India announced, through a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), that their India team has set a new record in 2023 for the number of processed visa applications. They expect to handle many more applications from students, workers, tourists, and others in the upcoming weeks, coinciding with the holiday travel season. The embassy expressed best wishes for safe travels to all applicants and praised the efforts of the Consular Team.

Concurrently, the US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, announced plans to expand embassy staff and open new consulates to address the visa application backlog. This includes a new consulate in Ahmedabad and additional staff for the Hyderabad consulate, with further expansions in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. Garcetti shared these details during an interactive session with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), as reported by PTI.

There have been notable delays in the US Visa process for Indian students and professionals due to the high volume of applications. Garcetti noted a significant increase in US visa issuances in India, with expectations to issue 10-15% more visas than usual in the current year.

The increase in visa processing coincides with record-high enrollment of Indian students in the US. According to the Open Doors 2023 report by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education (IIE), there were 268,923 Indian students in the US in the 2022-23 academic year. This is a 35% increase from the previous year and surpasses pre-pandemic levels, with Indian students forming over 25% of the 1 million international students in the US.